We do not need a special day
To bring you to our minds
The days we do not think of you
Are very hard to find

Each morning when we awake
We know that you are gone
And no one knows the heartache
As we try to carry on

Our hearts still ache with sadness
And secret tears still flow
What it meant to lose you
No one will ever know

Our thoughts are always with you
Your place no one can fill
In life we loved you dearly
In death we love you still

There will always be a heartache
And often a silent tear
But always a precious memory
Of the days when you were here

If tears could build a staircase
And heartaches make a lane
We'd walk the path to Heaven
And bring you home again

We hold you close, within our hearts
And there you will remain
To walk with us throughout our lives
Until we meet again
Our family chain is broken now
And nothing seems the same
But as God calls us one by one
The chain will link again.
Written by Connie Dyer

Ted at age two, what a cutie!

Ted at 10 years old.

These are six special gifts to Angel Ted from my friend Marie. You can visit her website for her son Rob here ~ Rob Northrop's Site.

These three graphics above are beautiful and loving gifts for Angel Ted from my dear friend, Carol, mom to Angel Michael.

The mention of my child's name
may bring tears to my eyes,
But it never fails to bring music to my ears.
If you are really my friend,
let me hear the music of his name!
It soothes my broken heart and sings to my soul!
~ Author Unknown ~

My son Ted received a virus from an infected kidney in December of 1998. He fought for over 8 months barely clinging to life. When he was returned to me, he had to retrain all his muscles to walk, eat, etc. One day a dirty dialysis needle sent him into septic shock which ended in open heart surgery. He survived through an inner strength that few of us can imagine. I had him for about a year before I lost him forever.

The graduation picture was from UCF when Ted earned his master's degree in art education in Dec 1996.

I gave the top picture, of a harbor in Scotland, to Ted and asked him to paint a picture of it for my living room in Minneapolis. The picture on the bottom is the result, I'm sitting in front of it there.

Here is a picture of my foyer. It has become an art gallery for Ted's paintings. All the paintings have been found except the one on his website, but at least I have a picture of it. Most of them are framed, but I'm running out of wall space. Michelangelo said he was a sculptor not a painter. Ted always said he was a print maker, not a painter. He has done some fabulous works for a print maker!

Ted also made models. The bear head was one of his first attempts, the pink monster he made for his Halloween costume (He is inside it, lol).

The song playing on here is called Endings. Here are the words:

Endings

I stare at a photograph of you and of me
And sadly I face the things that never will be
For suddenly you're gone from me and I'm left alone
With loneliness and emptiness that I've never known

Why did this happen to tear us apart?
Ending our day dreams and breaking my heart?
I think of you constantly each hour of the day
And send love to follow you, tho' you're far away.

I'll not forget you dear, it's no use to try,
But as long as my heart is true,
Honey, somehow I'll muddle through
And bravely, I kiss you goodbye.

I'll not forget you dear, it's no use to try,
But as long as my heart is true,
Honey, somehow I'll muddle through
And tearfully, I kiss you goodbye.

Here is another song that makes me think of my son Ted. It was written in memory of my dad back in 1980. I called it "For You, Love" and the words are:

For You, Love

Wonderful one with your heart so tender
You dried my tears with your smile.
I just assumed it would go on for ever
With laughter and love all the while

Wherever you are, throw a kiss now and then
The memories linger to warm me again
The music we made will play on and on
For you, and your love, and your smile.

Ted's showing off his custom lined tuxedo (what a ham). He really was a crazy, charismatic, charming guy.

Ted's self-portrait.

Ted's tiger painting.

The large picture above was one Ted made while a student of Ringling School of Art. He was taking it to a bank for display.

IfBy Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Here is Ted on my brother's boat. This was the last photo taken of him a few months before he died.

Thank you to my dear friend, Rosemary, for your help in creating the wonderful background set for Ted's Page and with re-sizing some of Ted's photos also.

Peggy,
I'm thinking of you with love and I
celebrate Ted's life and honor him
My Prayers are With You
Ann,
Laurasmom

"I am so honored to present you
with my "Beautiful Poetry Award" for
the lovely poems you wrote along with
with the music that you wrote.
What a marvelous tribute to your Ted
who was such a loving son."

"I would also like to present you with my
"Award For Courage" for Ted, who so
valiantly fought all the way through his terrible
illness right to the very end.
What an inspiration this angel is to others."
Love
Ann, Laurasmom

Dedicated to A Special Angel,
Teddy
God sent you here just for a while, With your talent for art and your very own style
You were "so special" you just could not stay, But had to go home on God's chosen day
You paint with the Masters that you knew so well, Where you've finally met them and together you dwell
Your mom is crying from missing you so, Please visit her dreams so that maybe she'll know
You'll be waiting for her in that beautiful land, At Heaven's gate with paint brush in hand
For now send soft kisses meant for mommy alone, Rest well sweet Teddy until she comes home
With all my love and our shared tears Dear Peggy, my special friend
Ann,
Laurasmom

Peggy
My Dear Friend
You Are in My Heart in this terrible month of sorrow
With My Love and Prayers
Ann,
Laurasmom

Dear Peggy
So much time has passed, but your ANGEL Ted is still continuing his talents in HEAVEN, just like my ANGEL Lee..
We have to believe how ever much time our ANGEL'S spent on earth, it for sure wasn't wasted, because now HEAVEN has that much more talent, whatever it may be..
GOD BLESS PEGGY
Sue-Anne/LEE